The Bane
by PrayTonight
Summary: A girl awakens in Middle-Earth alone and confused, it only becomes stranger for her when she runs into four small people on the run from black riders. However, there are many reasons why things are what they are, as she is soon to find out... OFC-centric! Girl-Falls-into-Middle-Earth!
1. In the Dark of Light

_…_

Dark sky, black swarms

_… bane_

Creatures of an evil entity swarming, blackening the ash land

_bane..._

An army of pure gold marches on with courage tied over their hearts. Hope, they hold onto hope at the end of an old rope.

_bane_

Light and Dark clash like two oceans colliding altogether. Blood black and red blurring, cries and roars shouted high into the air for all the world to hear their agony.

_Bane._

He comes...!

**_BANE!_**

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, I know it was short but I just wanted to get things started. Anyway, I'm a first timer in the LoTR fics, so I'd appreciate it if there is someone who's really a pro in this thing that they will lend a helping hand. I'd like a translator when it comes to _Sindarin_ and maybe even _Quenya_. I also kind of need help when it comes to naming someone, I'm really picky when it comes to names, sorry. Yes, this is one of those typical _Girl-falls-into-Middle Earth_ but we can't help ourselves. I just hope mine doesn't come out to be some overly zealous Mary Sue (shudders). Thank you and I hope to continue with this fic.**


	2. Awakened from the Green

**Hello there! I'm new in the whole business and affairs of Lord of the Rings, I just got the first LoTR book and it's long~ and I had no idea how unlike it was from the movies (it's embarrassing!). Anyway, I'd like to give tons of thanks for two people, one of who inspired me to write my first LoTR fic and another who is helping me ride said fic! Give applause to;**_  
_

**CrackinAndProudOfIt (Crackers) & AzureSkye23 (Ms. Azure)**

**I still have a long way to go but I'm sure I'll be just fine with these two fellas with me. Thank you both again for your help and I hope you readers will like what I have planned for this story's direction. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

_O He who is all dark and cruel may rise to crush the light-  
The fell black god that grows stronger and all who align themselves to Him.  
No peace lies ahead for Men until the Bane is gone from this world..._

**~x0x~**

_Bright, _came the first thing in mind. _Too bloody bright!_

Sunshine, while a necessity to life and the world for various reasons, was just too bothersome. When someone is trying to sleep to their heart's content, they really don't need a blood over sized lamp shining on their face!

With no choice, I groggily began to awaken from my slumber, rub the crust from my eyes, and stare up at the ceiling... or rather, what should have been a ceiling.

Trees. I was looking at trees. _Hmmm_, I didn't remember having camped outside at all!

I blinked and shifted my gaze to try and make sense of the scene around me, but saw that I was indeed outside rather than in a bedroom.

I sat up slowly and wondered briefly if this was all a dream. But the breeze was cool, infused with a morning chill and the birds were chirping somewhere up in the treetops. There was not even a sign that I set up camp here, no bed rolls or tents erected. I was simply left alone on the first floor with nothing but the clothes on my back!

Fields, forests, and an infinity of green as far as the eye could see. Was this some sort of joke? Did some unkind, malevolent sod think that this was the greatest prank ever? I felt like I was going to panic at any moment!

I just couldn't recall coming out into a vast farmland like this. I didn't even remember walking through the countryside... In fact, I couldn't even remember last night!

"Stay calm," I told myself as I breathed in and out to calm my nerves. "Find the nearest town and go from there, alright?"

I quickly probed around the area, looking about to see if anything would lead me the way out. Sure enough, I found one not too far from where I stood. All gravel, brown dirt like it had been driven on way too many times that the grass just refused to grow back. I fingered my dark hair and, feeling leaves and twigs stuck through my thick mane, got to work on removing them as I walked toward the road. I glanced down at myself for a quick inspection: pencil-thin jeans, spaghetti-white blouse covered by a red flannel shirt, and brown sneakers.

_It's no wonder I'm so cold._

And so I walked. Now, I'm not much of a nature girl, but I have to admit that this untouched land was just gorgeous. A part of me was saddened by the fact that, what with the future's constant outward development, these beautiful lands would soon be replaced by the buildings, streets, and perky houses of suburbia. Such a pity.

As I continued to walk, my admiration of the landscape lessened, morning into worries about finding anything remotely familiar.

With no signs of airplanes, cars, houses, or even telephone posts, nothing caught my eyes. This land went on for miles; how could someone leave me so far away from civilization? Obviously, I couldn't have blamed myself for saying I slept-walked all the way out here!

Where was the nearest village? Or town? Where the blooming hell was the city?!

Two more hours of nothing but walking and searching on a dirt road yielded no sign of civilization to be found.

"Oh, Good God Almighty..." I muttered to myself, placing a hand over my chest to feel the increasingly rapid thumping of my heart.

Where was I?

Hours had passed since my awakening, and I could feel my legs beginning to turn to jelly from the walking. As the sky grew darker, my fears only intensified. I couldn't... I couldn't sleep outside in the open. I had no idea how I had done it when I had awaken that morning, but one thing I did know was that I wouldn't repeat that. I was almost too scared to even try it, but there was clearly no choice.

I prayed that the next morning that I would have more luck.

Picking a random tree somewhere along the side of the road, I laid down and stared up through the branches until, between the leaves, I could finally descry the stars. Slowly, my unease left me, and I felt a sense of calm wash over my sore body. The sky glittered with twinkling diamonds, and I found my lips quietly mouthing that childish lullaby.

_"Twinkle, twinkle, little star,_  
_How I wonder what you are,_  
_Up above the world so high,_  
_Like a diamond in the sky."_

Sleep finally overcame my sense and led me to the haven of my foggy mind...

* * *

I jumped awake, started and frightened.

… _but of what? _I reached up and felt the light sheen of sweat upon my forehead and did quick work to wipe it all away. My goodness, I felt my heart beating as wildly as a drum against my ribcage.

My mind was plagued by something that I could not name. I didn't know why, but there was something foreboding and wrong permeating the air, and I felt a chill just thinking of it. I looked around and sighed in frustration.

So I wasn't dreaming. I had actually slept outside like a bloody dog!

_There had better be a town somewhere close, _I mentally complained, _or I swear I am going to go bloody mad._

I groaned, feeling again the joints and muscles sore from hours and miles of walking yesterday, and my stomach was no better! I had been hungry since yesterday morning, and I was fast becoming famished and grouchy.

"What I'd give for a restaurant," I said as I walked to the road and continued once again on my seemingly-endless journey to find civilization.


	3. Shriek and Whisper

**Hi there! Sorry I haven't updated in so long, I had finals for the past week, and I was scrambling to get stuff done and prepared for the tests. I hope I did okay, I really wanna get to my new classes the next semester. Anyway, I went and saw The Hobbit today! It was... beautiful! I was remembering the cartoon version of The Hobbit, but watching the movie, I see a lot of stuff was censored out of the kiddish cartoon movie (it did have a hint of violence in it, though). Yeah, so I'd like to thank ****CrackinAndProudOfIt (Crackers)** for being my beta!

**I hope you guys like this chapter! Enjoy!  
**

* * *

I was still hungry_._

I wasn't going to have to hunt down an animal, kill it, and roast it over a fire... was I? Good Lord, I couldn't imagine myself doing that, and besides, I couldn't even make a campfire! Those things took time, patience, and practice, all of which I didn't have.

But I was still hungry, and my head was beginning to feel a bit light.

The air was rather chilly from the early morning fog, making everything somewhat damp. Although I was cold I marched onto the road and resumed my travel, hoping for chance that there was a town to be found somewhere ahead.

I began to think of what I would do if I reached the town. I smiled as I imagined myself loading plate after fancy buffet plate with mouth-watering food. Simply _gorging_ until I was all nice and plump. I stopped and looked down at my thin waist and scrunched my face.

_Alright, maybe I should re__f__rain from that happening..._ I thought with some humor and continued on.

After I'd eaten to ease the pain of a hollow stomach, I would no doubt call the police or one of my family members to pick me up from... well, wherever I was. When all would be over and done with, and I was in the safety of my own house, I planned to find the one responsible for my predicament and give them a good slug in the face and kick below the belt for this ill jest!

_Yes__. _My eyes narrowed and my blood boiled at mere thoughts of the faceless joker. _I will have my vengeance._

As the next hour passed, the fog began to lessen, allowing my skin to be bathed in the warmth of the sun. I let out a long sigh of relief and looked off to the side of the path—

"Water!" I cried out in sudden joy. A small creek a little way off from the road flowed.

I jogged over and plunged my hands into the water. It was icy cold, but I didn't care. I was so thirsty that it wouldn't have bothered me of this were a storm drain; I just needed a drink! As I sipped the cool water, my dry tongue and throat began to feel at ease. I drank and drank and drank and drank, until I could take no more.

I sat back and watched the creek flow, letting my stomach ease up a bit before moving along down the road. I just wished I had a canteen with me; that would make things really easy for me, since I would be able to carry the water with me and ration how much I would drink until I found people that could help me.

Suddenly an ugly feeling reared up within me, and my eyes widened in surprise.

I'd been holding it off for a while, but I knew it would be no good if I continued to do so. I'd probably die from infection if I contained it any longer.

With some grudging reluctance, I strode over to some tall grass where I could easily hide from any peeping eyes. I may have been wanting to find people, but I would never let them find me like this. Without a word, I pulled my pants down and squatted to do my business...

I washed my hands as best I could before heading off once again on the road, now even more desperate to find civilization. I felt embarrassed and disgusted that I had to do that!

I marched down the road with great speed, determined to find people before the end of the day. The next thing came to mind when I found a town, I would take a nice bath! And I would never again doubt the luxury of having toilet paper!

I walked again at a normal rate, no longer so overwhelmingly embarrassed and disgusted. I was hungry and weary, but there was nothing I could do about either save keep forging ahead.

* * *

After a while I started to notice that the trees, which had before been spread out far and wide, began to close in and grow in number. The road became the only thing the trees couldn't be on. Fallen leaves littered the ground;I looked left from right to see through the thick of the trees, but it was no use.

An ill feeling grew within me as I walked on the forest road.

My stomach did somersaults, my intestines tightened, and my heart slowly began to thump faster and faster.

What was happening? I couldn't explain why, but something felt foul in the air. I wanted nothing more than to turn back and run the other way where the air wasn't so constricting. Just as I was about to do so—

I screamed out loud from the crushing weight of something falling on top of me. I face-planted on the ground, and the sudden impact nearly knocked all the air out of my lungs, but I thankfully fought the urge to black out. I groaned and lifted my head, but froze when I felt something squirming on top of me.

I struggled to get up, but it wasn't much use, and I peeked over my shoulder to find... a hairy foot.

For a moment I was about to open my mouth and throw up. The foot removed itself, and I could see that past said big, hairy foot was a surprised fellow with curly dark hair and surprised bright blue eyes. He opened his mouth and spoke.

Spoke in a language I couldn't understand.

"What...?" I look at him in utter confusion. "I'm sorry, do you speak English?"

Now I was the one getting the funny look.

With the help of another fellow, this with curly auburn hair and a rather round stomach, he quickly climbed off of me. The plump one and the bright-eyed man began to help two other companions off of me before they came to my aid and helped me up.

They were... tiny.

When I used to look at a small person, they were either a couple of inches shorter than me or had been diagnosed with dwarfism. These individuals looked neither of the two. They were more like miniature-sized men with ugly-looking big, hairy feet. And they dressed oddly, too.

"Uh, thank you," I said slowly as the four gazed up at me, the round fellow seeming to regard me with some suspicion.

One of them, a small, light-haired tiny man spoke so quickly that it was even harder to understand his words.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak your language. Are you on your way to the Renaissance Fair?"

They just stared blankly at me. I let out a sigh and look back down at the road, feeling stupid and awkward. My stomach then decided then to grumble loudly, and I blushed when two of them snickered at me, proceeding to cough loudly in hopes of distracting them from the sound.

And then the nicest thing happened. One of them offered me a carrot. It was broken, and it was a bit filthy from dirt, and it was a bit larger than what I usually saw in carrots, but it was food! I gave them a quick, appreciative smile and took the orange vegetable. I munched it down to the core in no time and watched as the four men gathered belongings that had scattered when they tumbled off the small cliff above where we now stood. I wondered if maybe I should head in that direction...

**Ugly, foul, disgusting, cruel, inhumane, sick, twisted— **

I blinked and hugged myself, that unwelcome feeling returning tenfold, like a giant wave had just slammed into me. I don't know why I just thought of that. It really came out of nowhere, but the words felt right as my heart plummeted into cold fear.

I looked down the road and saw the leaves ruffle from a cold burst of wind; the feeling only worsened. Oh God, what was that? I wanted to leave right now, I wanted to get out of these woods and go home. I wanted to...

I wanted to disappear!

A tug on my flannel sweater broke me out of my little panic attack as my body was tugged backward towards the side of the road. I saw the dark-haired tiny man pulling me along, speaking to me in that foreign language and forcing me to duck with him under a large burrow hidden in the tree roots. The three others were fooling around with a sack full of who-knows-what, but they soon joined the dark-haired man and me beneath the tree. We sat there until a sound reached all our keen ears.

Hoofs.

Were this a situation entirely different, I might have come out and greeted the visitor with hopes of finally ending this long journey. But that wave of distraught misery overcame me and made me sit under the roots with dread, praying that I would not be found out. In his position beside the round man, the dark-haired one looked to be thinking the same as he began to pale.

The three others, seeming to have begun to realize our dire situation, silenced themselves—no more playing with the sack. I nearly jumped out of my skin when something crashed to the ground above us.

Footsteps.

My heart was racing again. I never believed I had been this scared until now. I was shaking and trembling in fear, and I just wanted it all to stop.

I nearly forgot to breathe when I saw metal fingers grab onto the tree roots, black cloth hanging from the arms they belonged to. The unsettling feeling grew and I was just moments away from jumping out.

The person in black... he... he was sniffing. Like a dog hot on an animal's trail. Like a dog hunting for something that was on the run. I reached out and clutched something, that something beginning to squeeze back with fervor. It was the light-haired one's hand; he looked as frightened as myself.

I looked down and found the sack lying unceremoniously at the feet of the tiny men. Without warning, I grabbed it, flinging the sack up and out of the hollow. I nearly gasped in shock when the person _screeched_ and flung himself in turn in the direction the sack had flown. I soon found myself being dragged out of the burrow by small hands. Once on the road again, the little men and I simply ran, away, away from the danger dressed in black.

No one stopped, no one even dared to look back; we all just ran and ran like the devil was on our trail.

Perhaps he was.

What the bloody fuck was happening?! We raced through the thicket of bushes and further through misty woods, far and far away from the terrifying being dressed in black. Why was I afraid? It could have just been some bugger playing black knight; however my heart said otherwise. Great fear and danger reeked from the hooded rider.

And the way it... it sounded. It was like it wasn't even human at all. Just a shadow of what it once was...

We came to an abrupt stop; everyone was panting and out of breath, their hearts excited from the scare and their faces pale, sinking down on the ground to sit. I realized I was still clutching the smallest one's hand and released him, but he didn't seem too bothered by it or else didn't even notice. We were all in worlds of our own.

The round one huddled close to the dark-haired fellow, speaking quickly and quietly in his own language, secretly, I noticed, from the two others. Whatever it was they were hissing to each other about, it was something serious. I looked away and back to where we had run from, my heart still stricken with fear. The fog we had passed through was coming our direction, and a scary thought crossed my mind.

That fog was not natural. It had malicious intentions written all over it, and I had no doubt the black rider was somewhere inside of it.

"Gentlemen," I roused them and began to back away from the fog. "We should leave. Right now."

They didn't understand my words, but they recognized the alarm in my tone. Getting back on their feet, I helped them along and we set off once more, silent and swift. I had no idea why I was involving myself with... whatever was happening; all I knew was that I didn't have the heart in me to leave these defenseless poor sods to that big, black, hideous rider that hunted them with intentions clearly foul.

**~x0x~**

Nightfall came, and we were still on the run. As the hours had passed, I came to learn each one of their names; Razanur, the youngest of the four, Kalimac (or Kali, as the others call him), the other mischievous one, Banazîr (but mostly known as Ban), the round one, and lastly Trânbrî, the bright-eyed fellow.

I raised a brow at the names but said nothing. I would have gladly introduced myself, but the situation was dire, and there was no time to exchange pleasantries. So every now and then the word _"Anon"_ would be thrown my way by Trânbrî.

Ha! The little bugger just gave me a name!

The darker it grew, the more dangerous our travel became. At every turn and slope, there was a black rider. They grew in number, spread out and always sniffing the air for our scent like the black dogs who hunted for souls of the condemned. What was it that they wanted from these four tiny people?

"Get down!" I hissed and pulled Razanur and Trânbrî down with me, the two others doing the same when they caught sight of a rider coming over a hill.

It stopped very briefly before turning in another direction and trotting off on its black steed. I let out a sigh of relief and released the two I had dragged down.

Kali strode over to Trânbrî and made some remark, his voice grave and questioning. Trânbrî said nothing for a long time before he faced Kali with a grim look and softly answered him. There was a standstill until Kali nodded and decided to lead the way.

Razanur tugged me along, trying to put on a brave face but staying close to my side. I gave him a reassuring squeeze on his tiny shoulder and offered a small smile. Some courage returned to him, and he followed after his three companions, leaving me at the rear. I kept my eyes and ears open for anything...

And hurried hooves came our way!

I let out a shriek, not meaning to, but I couldn't control myself. "Run! Run away!"

But it was too late. A black rider sprung from the shadows of the forest, cutting us off from wherever we needed to go. Everyone panicked, screaming mostly Trânbrî as he tried to go around, but his attempt proved futile when the rider would not let him pass. The others shouted as they ran toward what looked like a river ahead.

Not really planning and at full blown blood panic, I grabbed a nearby stick and threw it straight toward the legs of one of the horses. The poor beast shot up on its hind legs and the rider clutched the reigns in surprise. I grabbed Trânbrî, and we made a mad dash past the distracted rider and ran for the river. I let out a cry of relief when there was small ferry boat waiting for us, but I screamed when I looked back to see the rider gaining on us from behind.

With a burst of speed, I dragged the poor stumbling Trânbrî, his feet almost leaving the ground from my pulling. We ran down the docks and I jumped, hauling Trânbrî with me; we both fell in a heap over Ban and Razanur from the bad landing. I whipped my head around and watched in awe as the rider pulled his reigns and halted the horse from going after us any further.

I didn't bother listening to what the four others were talking about, too anxiously fixated on the black rider as I watched it pull back its steed to head elsewhere. I saw from behind that the other riders were heading in a different direction.

_I have no doubts that they are looking for another way to cross the river, _I mentally said to myself and gulped in fear.

I fell back with a shaky sigh and closed my eyes, trying to sort out the crazy picture I'd stumbled upon. I felt a hand squeeze my shoulder and I opened my eyes to find Razanur crouching beside me and offering a smile and quick words of comfort in that endearingly chipper voice. Trânbrî joined him with a thankful smile of his own, and I could only laugh at them sheepishly in reply.

Once the tiny ferry carried us across, we hurried into the forest and became ever so watchful from then on, not wanting a repeat of the previous events. I could see weariness on their frantic faces, and I felt even worse for them. These poor fellows were on the run from who-knows-what, and they looked like they would drop dead on their feet.

We remained cautious. We didn't want to push our luck and get caught again because there would be no river to save us this time should the situation come to rise.

Razanur was quite a chatterbox. I couldn't understand the language, but it seemed he was talking about himself and his friends. There were moments when he had to be snapped into silence by the others;they would look back at me for a moment like they were expecting me to react. I didn't do anything but stare back at them with a blank look.

And we walked.

My legs were becoming used to this exercise. I didn't remember ever going on jogs or long walks, but I supposed that there was some good coming out of this. I was burning calories and gaining muscles from this exhilarating work out.

The journey continued to be tiresome for me. I was still sleepy from having stayed up all night but I knew it had been necessary, so I sucked in my bitching and followed them.

What's worse was that it began to drizzle clouds from the south grumbled by, the dark clouds giving promise that there would be heavy thunderstorms to come. The rain began to pick up, and I knew that through the downpour I could hear my teeth chattering.

Not only was I lost, confused, and on the run, I was now weary, soaked and cold.

I was probably going to get sick from this.

_Happy thoughts_, I told myself with a sarcastic smile. _Think happy thoughts!_

I feared that the riders would appear without our notice and we'd be in big trouble. Finally, after, what seemed forever in the long walk, we came down a steep hill; I almost cried out in joy to see lights ahead through the dark forest. Picking up my pace somewhat, I hurried the four along with me but halted when there was a giant gate blocking the way in to a sleepy-looking village.

"Oh, you have got to be joking!" I growled, kicking the gate in frustration. "Oy! Let us in!"

But I would not kick them again, for Ban and Kali pulled me back with some force, talking rapidly and doing a poor job at placating me. A small window in the gate opened, and I squinted my eyes to see an old hooded man looking at me with squinty eyes of his own. He was talking to me in that language again, and I only pointed down to tell him _I'm not the only one_. A second later, the window shut and the one below the first window opened, allowing him to see my four companions.

There was a brief exchange and I sighed in relief when the door opened and the old man stood aside with his bright lantern hanging over us. We entered without complaint as the old man chattered, and we found ourselves in an ancient village.

I'd seen villages, but I'd never seen any that were so... medieval-esque.

"What is wrong with this world...?" I muttered to myself and followed the others.

The streets were dark with few lanterns, people loitering about, some stumbling with drunken stupor; I had to be careful. I pulled Kali and Trânbrî to the side when a group of tall men broke through us, snapping some words at us before treading on. At long last, After several more minutes of walking, the four tiny men seemed to find what they'd been searching for; a bar.

Pah! Men... I rolled my eyes at them but followed them inside none the less.

We headed in and were immediately overwhelmed by warm, warm air. I let out a sigh of relief. The frost on my skin slipped away, and I relished the heat of the crowded pub. We came to a counter, and I hold back from laughing when Trânbrî barely reached the top of the counter, calling out quietly for someone. Not too long, an older, dirty-looking man, whom I presumed, was the barkeeper. He approached and took a quick scan over me and then the four little men at my side.

I ignored the talk between them and looked around, but almost winced when I saw more than a few men looking my direction with either curiosity or keen interest of the kind I didn't think I would like.

"Anon," Trânbrî's voice called me, and I returned my attention back to him.

We walked through the crowd and settled down at an empty, small-sized table. I sat neatly at the edge and began to scratch my nail against the wood, just to keep myself busy.

"Nob!" I heard the barkeeper shout somewhere in the throng of noise.

Not too long, another tiny man with big, hairy feet came to our table, bearing an armload of steaming plates. Slowly, he dropped one plate to each respective person until I got the last. I smiled at the others in appreciation.

"Cheers!" I said to them as I raised my cup.

During that time, Razanur, Kali, and myself engaged in an effort to get past the language barrier. What I learned in the past hour was something... I did not expect.

Hobbits, they called themselves, the small people. Judging from the appearance of Nob, I'd come to doubt that these four were just diagnosed with something genetic that made them unnaturally small. I deduced, in fact, they were actually just really tiny people with big feet.

The more they tried to talk, the more revelations came to me. Was it a big coincidence that I had awoken in the middle of nowhere in an unfamiliar land? Was it strange that I had not come across anything modern? The little Hobbits, the black riders, this whole town...

… What the hell was going on?

Kali returned with something in his drink that Razanur insisted that he himself wanted to try out, leaving me and the three others alone. I watched Razanur and furrowed my brow when I saw some crooked-looking folk invite him into their circle at the bar counter, acting friendly and kind to the oblivious hobbit.

Movement from the other side of the table made me look to see Trânbrî whispering and pointing at something at the far corner of the bar. I peeked over my shoulder and felt my blood go still.

A hooded man sat there, alone and undisturbed.

His shadowy face was obscured from the rest of the world but I knew he was watching us. I swallowed thickly at the thought. He lounged in the corner, calmly smoking a pipe, legs propped up on a tiny stool. The way he positioned himself made him look defenseless... but I could just tell he was dangerous.

Not the kind of obvious dangerous when you see a man in a ski mask about to rob a bank, more like a potential kind of dangerous. He could remain where he was, looking innocent and doing nothing, but at the last second, he could have a knife at your throat.

I swallowed nervously and looked away, not wanting to think anymore. With black riders chasing our trail, and possibly spies watching us, we really didn't need any more trouble.

"**Baggins..."**

I sat straight all of a sudden, looking left and right on hearing the sound of a cold voice. It sounded close to me, but the voice echoed.

"**Baggins..."**

Unkind, ill-intentioned, malicious, agonizing, fearsome, and pure evil. The sound gave me chills. I clutched the edge of the table, feeling the familiar cold I first felt from that black rider when he was searching for us beside of the road. But this was bigger, and much, much worse.

"**Baggins...!"**

I ducked my head and grasped my ears, wishing for this voice to stop and leave me alone! _Enough!_ Enough of this cruelty already! I didn't want to hear anymore!

"Baggins!" Razanur's voice interrupted, and I looked up in his direction, surprised.

I pulled my hands away from the table and stared at them. _What was that __voice__? What just happened?_

Trânbrî shot to his feet, looking frantic and panicked. I stood up as well, worried that we may have been found out. But the dark-haired hobbit went straight to Razanur, for some reason clearly intent on shutting up his friend's chattering. There was a quick rumble, and Trânbrî was falling backwards, his hand in the air and reaching for something small and...

He disappeared.

Darkness whipped around me. I fell back on my stool and watched the world move around violently, like a great hurricane was passing through the bar, but the shadowy figures of men did not seem bothered by it. The noise was loud and howling, so vociferous that my hearing failed me.

"**Isildur..." **I heard something loud and powerful say from behind me. **"Isildur...!"**

I could not scream for I hadn't the heart to do so, too afraid to do anything but sit there.

A great eye surrounded in red flames drew closer to me, its size growing until it engulfed the entire room and stared down at me with an immense black slit of a pupil. I could neither move nor breathe, too afraid and too bewildered to do anything!

_What is this?! Who... Who are you?_ I felt myself asking as my body screamed in helpless fright.

It was as if I was looking into Hellfire, where it seemed I would burn for all eternity until The End. Hellish flames were but a few feet away from scorching my body into ash; the giant eye of Satan looked down at my feeble soul. I cowered before him and whimpered at his presence. No mercy will I have from him.

"**Isildur—"**

The world was no longer on fire, and the bar was just hot, crowded, and merry.

I was clutching tightly onto a plate, the thing moments away breaking due to my harsh hold. I was still trembling, still too shocked to do or say anything.


	4. Whats in a Name

**Many thanks to ****CrackinAndProudOfIt (Crackers) & AzureSkye23 (Ms. Azure)!**

**It's been a long time and I completely forgot this certain story (been too busy with the Hobbit trilogy, as you people might have guessed). I have returned and determined to get this story through with what I've imagined with my original character as the main protagonist. I know a lot of people are sick of the typical Girl-falls-in-ME but we can't help ourselves, can we? Besides that, a lot of people (including myself) are into that sort of thing, except we want very good characters rather than some chick who doesn't know or doesn't care what they're doing and just ruins everything. I'm thankful I found people who know Tolkein's world better than I do (I'm a noob) and with many consulting, this story had been brought to light. I thank Crackers and Ms. Azure along with other writers who've written lovely stories of their own that inspired me to do it right. Thank you and I hope you come to love this story and enjoy the chapter.**

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We had to leave.

No matter where we were, nowhere was safe. Trivialities like food and shelter were the last things on my mind;all that mattered was that we left this town behind. Not to waste any more time, I took quick advantage of the small uproar going on around the bar.

"Ban! Kali!" I called the two hobbits to attention They were both so befuddled from their friend's sudden disappearance that they were momentarily at a loss. My voice, having penetrated through their mental fog, reached out and slammed them back to reality.

I grabbed their packs and shoved them into their arms, the poor little men barely holding onto their bags, still shocked from Trânbrî's disappearing trick-which was a matter I still had to deal with.

Movement caught my peripheral vision, and my eyes locked onto the motion just in time to see big, hairy feet disappear up the stairs of the tavern, trailing the shadow of a taller figure. A horrible sinking feeling crashed over my gut, and I was moving before I even knew what I was doing.

Trânbrî was being kidnapped, right under our noses!

I rushed over to the fireplace, grabbed myself a dangerous-looking stoker, and turned towardthe stairs, where I prepared to do the unthinkable: fight. I quickly climbed the stairs, barely noticing the other hobbits, who watched my questionable actions with growing alarm. I slowed my pace when I reached the dorms, wondering for a brief second how the deuce I was going to find Trânbrî and his captor now.

"Oh, bullocks!" I hissed under my breath.

I shakily walked down the dark hall, fireplace poker raised to whack anything dangerous. I silenced myself when I heard the faint voice of Trânbrî, no doubt talking to the stranger who stole him away from his company. A fierce emotion to protect little Trânbrî overcame me, and I focused on the room that was hiding him.

Before I could make my sneak attack, I abruptly came to a stop when I heard the other three hobbits come storming up the stairs, through the hallway, and towards the door that they saw me standing in front of. Ban threw the door open, and the two others, armed with a three-legged stool and a candelabra, charged in after him.

I couldn't stop the shriek that tore from my throat when the stranger, whose back was turned to the door, whipped around with a fucking sword aimed at us! I raised my stoker in turn, albeit with shaky hands. We were at a standstill at that moment, Ban boldly balling up his tiny fists and, by the tone of his voice, threatening the stranger.

A proper look at the man in dark attire, and I instantly recognized him: the hooded stranger from the corner.

The now un-hooded kidnapper lowered his weapon, softly commenting something to Ban, before his eyes slowly trailed past my companions and toward me. I still had the fireplace poker aimed at him, still trembled in silent fear as I stared up at the broad, ragged man**.**

He was a burly guy, with dirt and grime hanging off his face and clothes; he wore wrinkled robes that probably hadn't been washed in days. His dark, grungy hair looked frizzled and tangled; it was no hard guess that the man hadn't bathed for a long time.

However, there was something in my head that told me this: even all the dirt and muck in the world could never touch him.

His gray eyes bored their intense gaze into my hesitant form. I never knew how to read a person from their eyes, but something told me by looking at his, that although he appeared to be most fearsome... there was kindness. I watched the stranger as he sheathed his sword and raised his hands in a motion of surrender, softly murmuring to me in that unknown language.

**Gentle, loving, trustworthy—**

There came those random thoughts and feelings. It was the complete opposite of what I had felt in the forest, replaced with warmth that made the cold fade away.

"Anon," came Trânbrî's soft voice, breaking me out of my staring. I flicked my eyes towards him and realized he was trying to tell me to lower my weapon. Thisman was no danger to the hobbit or his company.

I brought down the poker but held onto it still. I wasn't taking any chances.

Undoubtedly hearing all the commotion we had been making, the barkeeper from before came down the hall and spotted me with the stoker. He made to enter the room, probably to tell us off, but stopped himself when he saw the man. At a quick gesture from the stranger, we all went inside the room and, with some reluctance, the barkeeper closed the door behind us.

All I could do at the moment was just sit down and let them talk; what with the language barrier between us, I obviously couldn't be of much help. But whatever the topic of discussion, it must have been dire. That I could see from their every paranoid glance over the shoulder, as if they expected a Black Rider to come crashing through the walls. The barkeeper looked like he wanted to stay out of it, and he had every right to do so, but the stranger's words kept him still and forced him to listen what was said.

Without any notice or warning, my mind began to fog up. Adrenaline and fear had kept me awake for far too long.

I barely noticed someone coming up to me, nor did I register that I was being pulled to my feet and led elsewhere. All I wanted was to go to sleep.I drifted between the lines of awareness and unconsciousness until one of them had won, and I was at last left to my much needed repose.

**~x0x~**

Like old folklore come to life, an unnatural wailing pierced the air. It was the familiar screeching that ruined any peace left in my poor body.

I shot up from my place on an unfamiliar mattress, looking wildly for signs of the tattered black clothes and empty faces. My mind was in a whirlwind, and I nearly felt pain from the racing of my heart.

_Did they find us already?! _I jumped up from the mattress in full blown panic, utterly terrified at the thought of facing those black riders again. _Where are the boys?! Where's Trânbrî?!_

I nearly let out a scream when someone grabbed me and muffled my mouth with a gloved hand. I struggled and fought against my captor, but whoever it was held on tightly.

"Shhhh," was hushed into my ear, and I was allowed to turn my head enough to look into gray-blue eyes.

It was the stranger.

He murmured into my ear very softly and turned my body to see my companions. They had clearly been asleep, yet forced awake by both the shrieking of the Black Riders and my panic. Relieved that they were alive and unharmed, I relaxed somewhat and allowed the man to release me. I was pushed back into the bed, next to where Razanur was sitting. As much as I wanted to go back to sleep, the noise of the dark men in robes and their restless black horses kept me awake.

They were searching desperately for us. That knowledge alone made me feel like I could never go back to sleep until the day I died.

"Anon." I looked up to face the man, who had resumed his place on a chair near the window. He pointed at himself and spoke.

I just stared at him.

"Sorry, mate, but I don't speak whatever your language is," I said, rubbing crust away from my eyes.

He kept talking, but he was now watching me carefully. With every word of his, I began to notice something odd. He spoke some words, and when I did not respond, he tried another sentence... except it sounded even stranger than the last. Only after a few tries did I finally begin to understand what he was doing; the hint came to me when I saw some odd looks cross my companions' faces.

He was speaking different languages to see if I would respond to any of them.

"No." I shook my head at him and thought it best to try explaining that I couldn't understand. "I'm English. I speak English only."

"English...?" Razanur cocked his head to the side.

"English." the man pointed at his mouth. "English?"

"Yes." I pointed at my own mouth and motioned outward. "That's my language. English."

If anything, he looked more perplexed. The language barrier just had to go; I really didn't want to spend the rest of my time here looking stupid and feeling useless because my companions and I couldn't understand each other. As if feeling my predicament, Razanur patted my shoulder sympathetically.

"Tarkil." The man spoke again, and I scrunched my eyes at him. He pointed at his chest, patting it a few times. "Tarkil."

"I'm—"

_I'm what?_

I blinked in confusion. The others were staring at me, expecting me to give them an answer. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out; it was like I had hit an impenetrable wall that would not budge, no matter how hard I pushed for an answer.

"My name is—"

This was like a dead end. The road was blocked, and I couldn't move any further; there was nothing there for me beyond.

I didn't understand what was happening. I had a name! I knew that! Everyone has a name! _I am—_

"My name... I am..." I mumbled to myself, my body slowly going numb. "I don't know..."

All that time, from the moment I had awakened on that grassy field until I opened my eyes inside this small-spaced room, I had not realized something vital.

I had no idea who I was, where I came from, who my friends and family were, and how this all happened to me. I was nameless, defenseless, lost, and devastatingly scared out of my wits. This whole new revelation scared me as much as those insidious cloaked men did, and all the worry I carried with me just doubled the load on my very fragile mind.

"I don't know," I said and hunched over to bury my head in my legs, letting my fingers tangle into my hair as if to dig themselves in my head to find the answers I needed. "I don't know what my name is!"

How had I been so bloody blind the entire time and not noticed?! They asked me for my name, and not once did I think about my family! I assumed I had a friend, somewhere, I just didn't have a face or name to put on that person! Everyone had been calling me another name; not once had I bothered to correct them.

Thankfully, no more was said that night.

**~x0x~**

Breakfast was a quiet business. The poor barkeeper looked scared out of his mind from the events of last night. From what I later learned, we had switched rooms so that we would not be caught easily by the Black Riders, or Nazgûl as Tarkil called them. The whole thing had been Tarkil's idea.

Razanur kept himself by my side. Kali did the same, but the youngest of the four didn't move far from me at all. It was sweet of him, really, to look after me when he was the one in danger. A long while ago I might have been glad to put food in my empty belly, but right now I couldn't stomach the idea of eating because my insides felt like they were preparing for a tennis match.

Tarkil was gathering supplies for the four hobbits, probably to take them somewhere safe, away from the wretched, dark-robed creatures chasing them. Again, panic seized me. What was to become of me? Tarkil was obviously a better choice in defending them from the Nazgûl, so there was surely no need for some amnesiac to join them.

What a miserable morning this was becoming for me.

I was brought out of my pity party by Tarkil's appearance; I saw several packs in his arms, which I guessed were for the boys. Each was handed his own pack; I was startled when one was thrust into my arms. I looked at Tarkil in astonishment.

"Wha-what are you doing?" I asked, even though I knew I wouldn't get the right response.

Thankfully, though, he seemed to understand my question.

"Maura," he simply said, and I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"Maura? What-what is a Maura?" I said.

Tarkil gestured to Trânbrî.

I must have continued to look pathetically at a loss because he tried something else. (It was really a wonder that Tarkil hadn't yet ripped out his own hair in frustration with me.)

Thinking for a quick way to make this easier for me to understand, he pointed at himself. "Tarkil."

"Yeah, I know that," I said and nodded my head to let him know I was following.

Then he pointed once again at the dark-haired hobbit. "Maura."

At the mention of the name, Trânbrî looked up and spotted Tarkil and I standing near the table. Seeing the expression on my face, he quickly joined us and looked to Tarkil, both of them exchanging a few words before I was left to face Trânbrî. Tarkil left for outside, calling for Ban to join him; they both exited the room, leaving the small hobbit and me facing one another.

"Maura." he tapped his chest. "Maura."

"Oh," I murmured, sinking down in my chair. "You gave me a false name."

It did make sense. Maura was in hiding, giving himself an alias so that no word about someone by his true name would reach the ears of his pursuers. The poor thing looked at me with guilt for not having trusted me, but I only smiled and pulled him close to me in a hug.

"It's okay, mate. You had a lot on your plate, I get it," I said softly in his pointed ear.

We pulled away from each other and sat together on the breakfast table. Nearby, Razanur and Kali were looking curiously through the packs, probably trying to see if they could stuff more food inside.

_Hobbits love to eat, _I mused with a small smile. _Makes you wonder where it all goes, doesn't it?_

We waited for Tarkil and Ban to return so that we could set off to who knows where. Despite the danger of being hunted and the trouble of not remembering a thing about myself, I was glad that I would continue to accompany the others on this journey.

No more secrets and no more holding back, we were in this together, and I wanted to see this through with my friends and our new companion. I would have to deal with my personal queries at another time; as for now we had more important things to do: such as outrunning the Nazgûl.


End file.
